Crib



Dec.. 5, 1944. E WEBB 2,364,577

CRIB

Filed NOV. 18, 194].

f Patented Dec. 5, 1944 www UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE asociar:

Charles Webb, Newczdon, Wis., assigner to Edison Wood Products,Incorporated, West corporation of New Jersey range. N. J.,`a

Application November 18, 1941, Serial No. 419,537

14 Claims. (CI. 5-1l) Ihis invention relates to cribs and moreparticularly to cribs which have adjustable mattress frames.

It is a general object of my invention to provide a new and improvedmechanism for adjusting a crib mattress frame to diderent elevations andinclinations, and to provide such ad- Justable mechanism in a form whichis simple in construction and economical to manufacture.

It is another object to provide an improved and simplified stabilizerfor adjustable mattress frames adapted to hold the frame, in alladjusted positions, rigid against lengthwise and lateral play. Moreparticularly. in this connection it is an object to provide lateral andlengthwise stabilizers for an adjustable mattress frame .whichmechanically cooperate in a new and simple relationship.

Another object of my invention is to provide an easily operable anddependable latch for an adjustable mattress frame which is of simple andeconomical construction.

Other and allied objects of my invention will more fully appear from thefollowing description and the appended claims. Y

In the description of my invention reference is had to the accompanyingdrawing, ot which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, with parts broken away, of a cribincorporating my invention;

Figure 2 is a fractional sectional view illustrating the adjustablemechanism for the mattress frame and taken substantially on the verticalsection line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top fragmentary view of an end angle iron of the mattressframe showing the application thereto of the latch for the adjustablemechanism of the mattress frame;

Figure 4 is an enlarged principally elevational view of the latch justreferred to: and

Figure 5 is a sectional view showing a detail in Y I the adjustablemechanism and taken on the line t--i of Figure 2.

4 The crib snown in the accompanying drawing Yand to which my inventionis appliedA comprises similarendsections I andiront andbacksidepanelsl,onlythefrontoneoithesidepanels being however shown. These endsections and t suspends www! Wei-hef* u" wm w mmporummeasucnutnemummmdofthecrlbbyverticalrodsIontheendsecf tions.Theserodshavetheirupperendportions -I' bent over and secured to the endsections by union couplings I which are threaded onto studs in the endsections not shown. At theirlower brackets l, the brackets havingvertical legs riveted or screwed to the end sections and horizontalprojecting legs apertured to receive the rods. These rods extendslidably through aper- '5 tures I provided in the end 'portions of thetop and bottom bars 2' of the side panels. Thus each side panel isrendered vertically movable between a raised position and the loweredposition occupied by the panel in Figure 1. the rods 10 I serving asguides for the panels. Any suitable for rigidifying the crib and forsupporting a mattress frame hereinafter described. This support frame Ihas end and side angle irons suitably joined at the corners, the angleirons being so arranged that the horizontal and vertical iianges l andI" thereof extend respectively inwardly and upwardly from one another.The support frame has substantially triangular plates I riveted at'lllto the end portions of its side angle irons. These plates project beyondthe ends of 3 the :rame and have latex-any extending pms provided ontheir projecting portions. These pairs or pins engage open downwardlyextending slots I2 provided in the projecting ilanges I3 of brackets Ilsecured by screws Il to the end sections. the slots I2 being inclined topermit the frame to be raised and readily detached from vthe bracketsIl. When the support frame I is pressed down to seat the pins II in thebottom 4o of the slots I2, it serves to hold the end sections I in rigidrelationship. When the support frame is however removed, the endsections I and side panels 2 may pivot on thesuide rods I and be foldedor collapsed and be thus readily transported through narrow doorways.

The frame I carries a mattress frame II throughscissorsmechanismsl'lattheendsof the crib. The mattress frame comprisesinterconnectedendandsideangleironathesameas vertical flanges II' and II"thereof extending respectively inwardly and downwardly from oneanother-the frame being in other wordsinverted-inrelationtothesupportrrame I. Any

ends, the rods are securedtotbe endsectionsby ss suitable springstructure. not herein necessary to Interconnecting the end sections I isa frame I l show, may be connected between the end and side angle ironsof the mattress frame.

Each scissors mechanism I1 comprises a pair of levers I2 and I2plvotally connected at their centers as at 22. The lever I2 has a fixedpivotal connection 2I to the vertical flange 2" at one end of thesupport frame, and has a slidable pivotal connection 22 to therespective end of the mattress frame formed by a slot 22 in the verticalflange I2" at one end of the mattress frame and a pivot stud 24 in thelever and engaging this slot. Similarly, the lever I2 of this scissorsmechanism has a fixed pivotal connection 22 with the same verticalflange I2" of the mattress frame at a point directly above the point ofthe pivotal connection 2l, and has a slidable pivotal connection 22 tothesame vertical flange 2" of the support frame at a point directlybelow the pivotal connection 22, this connection 22 being formed by aslot 21 in the vertical flange 2" of the support frameand a pivot stud22 on the lever I2 engaging the slot 21. As so arranged, the scissorsmechanisms permit vertical adjustment of either or both ends otthemattress frame, and serve to guide the ends of the frame in parallelmovement as the frame is raised and lowered. When the mattress frame isin lowered position it nts within the support frame and rests on thehorizontalfianges 2' thereof.

At the pivotal connections 22, between the scissors mechanisms and themattress frame, there are provided latches for releasably holding theframe raised in adjusted positions. Each latch which v I provide forthis purpose is of very simple construction, comprising merely a.v dog22 pivoted on the pivot stud 24 within the end angle iron of' themattress frame, a spring 2I for biasing the dog into averticalor-neutrai position, and an apertured U-shaped plate 22carried with thestud 24 and embracing opposite sides of the flange I2" to provide asupport for the spring 2I,

the spring being secured to the dog 22 and plate 22 by pins 22 andanchored in the latter as by the engagement of an end portion thereof ina hole 24 in the plate. `".I'he dog' 22 is pressed by the spring 2lagainst the underside lof the horizontal flange I2', in which positionof the dog it is inclined from the vertical as is shown. 'I'he portionof the flange I2', which extends along the path of the pivot stud 24, isprovided with indentations to form a catch means with which the dog maycoact to latch thescissors mechanism. These indentations lare preferablyformed simply by providing the flange I2' with a series of apertures orslots, there being provided in the present instance three slots 22 ofshorter length and terr minal slots 22 of greater length.

The dog 22 has a notch in the end vthereof providing a narrowftooth 31-and an abutment 22 at the side of theiooth. The tooth 21 is adapted toengage either of the slots 22 and the abutment 22 to bear against theportion of the flange I2' adjacent the end of the slot whereby torestrain the dog to a lrightward inclination and catch it to the nange,as is shown in Figure 4. When the dog so engages the flange I2', itrestrains the pivot stud 24 against rightward movement along the angieiron I2 and thus latches the scissors mechanism I1 and holds themattress frame in a `raised. pomtion. The stud 24 may however be movedleftwardly to permit a' further raising of the mattress frame, for thedog will be cammed in a clockwise direction out ofthe slotas the stud isso moved. When the dog however comes into engagement with the longerslot 22. it is permitted to move over center through the slot toenablethe pivot stud to be next moved rightwardly in a reverse directionto permit a lowering of the mattress frame. the dog being for instancesnapped into a vertical or neutral position by the spring 2l as itenters the slot 22 and being then cammed leftwardly by the impingementof the right side thereof against the end wall of the slot as the dog ismoved out of the slot by the rightward movement of the pivot stud. Whenthe mattress frame has reached a fully lowered position the dog entersthe other longer slot 22, and, by the process Just described, is movedrightwardly over center as the mattress frame is next raised, the dogbecoming thus again effective to latch the mattress frame progressivelyin any one of three diilerent raised positions.

When the mattress frame is in raised position it is held rigid againstlateral or sidewise swaying by the scissors mechanisms I1, but is leftfree to sway in directions lengthwise thereof. To hold the frame alsorigid against lengthwise swaying,A I herein provide a new and simplifiedstabilizer. This stabilizer is based on my discovery that as an end ofthe mattress frame is raised and lowered, the transverse movement of thesliding pivot studs of the scissors mechanism I1 is substantially thesame, in amount and direction, as that which one end of a properlychosen diagonal brace between the frames is required to have to guidethe mattress frame in a vertical, or a predeterminately inclined, path.In accordance with this discovery I provide a brace rod 42 between thesupport and mattress frames in diagonal relation thereto. It will beunderstood that the term diagonal is herein used to mean extending froma side or end of one frame to a correspondingly different side or end ofthe other frame. This brace rod has a universal pivotal connection toone side of the mattress frame I2, which is made to a bracket 4I that issecured to the side angle iron of the frame I2 at a point substantiallymidway of the length oi' the frame. This bracket has a depending lugspaced inwardly from the side vertical flange I2" and apertured toreceive loosely a laterally bent end portion 42' of the brace rod, thisend portion 42' terminating in a right angle bend, referred to as 42,so-as to retain the brace rod in pivotal engagement with the bracket 4I.The other end of the brace rod has a universal pivotal connection to abar 42 which is slidably mounted on an end angle iron of the supportframe 2 and connected to the pivot stud 22. This bar extends leftwardlyfrom the pivot stud 22, as it appears in Figure 2, along the back sideof the end flange 2" and then terminates in a lug 44 which is foldedover the flange 2" down onto the horizontal flange 2' and then inwardlyto overhang this horizontal flange. It is to this overhanging portion ofthe lug that the brace rod 40 is pivoted, as by the extension of adownwardly bent portion 42" of the rod through a slightly over-sizedaperture 42 in the lug. A cotter pin 42 in the lower end of the rod andwasher 41 between the cotter pin and horiconta] i'iange 2' serve to'retain the brace rod in pivotal engagement with the lug 44 and to retainthe bar 42 against upward pivotal movement from the frame 2 about thestud 22. By providing the bar 42 at the back side of the end angle iraiofthe frame 2 throughout its greater length, this vbar provides littleobstruction to the scissors mechanism I1 when the mechanism iscollapsed.

asses?? and right, as it appears in Figure 2, and the lower end oi' thebrace rod Il is moved along the end of the support frame I, the bracerod thus serving to guide the mattress frame vertically and to restrainit against play lengthwise of the crib. As the mattress frame is soraised and lowered the brace rod turns not only on its normal pivot axeswith the bracket 4I and lug M but in additio n about a horizontal axisthrough the lug lengthwise of the crib and about a vertical axis throughthe bracket Il. This additional pivotal movement of the brace rod ishowever relatively smallbeing only approximately 30, which is the anglebetween the brace rod and the support frame member t appearing in Figurei. This small additional pivotal movement of the brace rod relative tothe bracket 4I and the lug 44 is accordingly permitted by making thebracket and lug of relatively thin stock, as is shown, and by providingthem with apertures having a clearance size to receive freely the endsof the brace rods.

By selection of the length of the brace rod Il and the places ot thepivotal connections of the brace rod relative to the sides and ends ofthe frames, the mattress trarnev may be guided in a substantiallyvertical path or in inclined paths in one direction or anotherlengthwise of the mattress frame. Reference being had to Figure 1, itwill be seen that upon lowering and raising the right end of themattress frame while the left end thereof is in raised position, theframe is restrained by the brace rod to pivotal movement about the leftend of the support frame as an axis-the end to which the brace rod isconnected-and, accordingly, the mattress frame has a small component ofmovement lengthwise of the crib. In order that the right end of themattress frame will be guided, in its lowering movement, directly to theposition which this end of the frame is to occupy when both ends of theframe are lowered, the frame is to be displaced slightly to the left ofthis lowered position when the same is raised. To fulill this condition,I preferably have the stabilizer above described so arranged as to guidethe end of the mattress frame, which is adjacent the brace rod, in adirection inclined from that end of the frame outwardly ot the cribthatis, leftwardly as the crib appears in Figure 1.

The preferred embodiment of my invention herein shown and described isintended to be illustrative and not limitative of my invention as thisembodiment is subject to many changes and modifications withoutdeparture from the scope of my invention, which I endeavor to expressaccording to the following claims.

I claim:

1. An adjustable supporting and stabilizing mechanism for the mattressframe of a crib, comprising an end support carried by the crib; amechanism, interconnected between said end support and the respectiveend vof said Lmattress frame, for adjusting the height of said mattressframe and holding the same rigid against lateral play; and an adjustablebrace, connected diagonally between said end support and a sideof saidmattress frame, for holding the mattress frame rigid against lengthwiseplay.

2. An adjustable supporting and stabilizing mechanism for the mattressframe of a crib, comprising support means for the frame mounted on theends of said crib; a mechanism interposed between said support means andan end of said mattress frame for adjusting the height of said frame endrelative to said support means: and an adjustable diagonal braceinterconnected between said support means and said mattress trame andcontrolled in accordance with the actuation of said adjusting mechanism,for constraining said frame from substantial movement in directionslengthwise ot the crib when the frame is raised relative to saidsupport.

3. In a crib having end sections: the combination of a mattress irameranadjustable scissors mechanism connected between an end section of thecrib and an end of said mattress frame; and an adjustable diagonal braceinterposed between said trame and end section and controlled inaccordance with the adjustment of said scissors mechanism.

4; In a crib providing alower support frame for a mattress frame: thecombination oi' an adjustable scissors means interposed between an endot said support frame and the respective end of said mattress frame; anadjustable diagonallyextending stabilizing means between a. side of oneof said frames and the said end of the other oi?I said frames; and meansintercoupling said scissors means and stabilizing means to cause one tobe adjusted in predetermined manner in accordance with the adjustmentsof the other.

5. In a crib providing a lower support frame for a mattress frame: thecombination of an adjustable scissors means interposed between an end ofsaid support frame and the respective end of said mattress frame: anadjustable diagonallyextending stabilizing means interposed between aside of one of said frames and the said end of the other of said frames,said stabilizing means being connected movably to said frame end formovement lateral of the crib: and means intercoupling said scissorsmechanism and stabilizing means to move the latter in directions lateralof the crib upon raising and lowering the said end of the mattressframe.

6. An adjustable supporting and stabilizing mechanism for the mattressframe of a crib, comprising a support bar mounted on an end of saidcrib; a scissors mechanism interposed between said support bar and therespective end of said mattress frame; a diagonal brace between saidframe and said support bar, said brace having a pivotal connection toone side of said frame and a pivotal slidable connection to said supportbar; and means to move said brace along said bar according to theactuation of said scissors mechanism.

7. An adjustable supporting and stabilizing mechanism for the mattressframe of a crib, comprising a support; a scissors mechanism between saidsupport and said frame; and means to stabilize said frame in directionsnormal to the plane of said scissors mechanism including a rigid memberextending diagonally of said frame between the frame and said support,said rigid stabilizing member having one end pivotaliy connected to aside of said mattress frame; means pivotally and slidably connecting theother end of said stabilizing member to said support for movementrelative thereto in directions lateral of the crib; and meansoperatively interconnecting said scissors mechanism andsaid connectingmeans to adjust said stabilizing means according to the actuation ofsaid scissors mechanism.

8. In a crib having an end section and a mattress frame: the combinationof a support member extending laterally oi' the crib and mounted on saidend section; a scissors mechanism interposed between said supportmemberand an end 'of said mattress frame, said scissors mechanism havinga laterally slidable pivot in said support member; a diagonal bracebetween said frame and support member, said bracel having one endpivoted to said frame and the other end pivoted to said support memberand slidable laterally thereof; and means connecting said otherend oisaid brace to said pivot to adjust the brace relative to said supportmember when said scissors mechanism is actuated.

9. In a crib including a support member and a mattress frame member: thecombination of a scissors mechanism between said members having pivotaland slidable connections in each oi' the members, one of said slidableconnections including a. sliding pivot in one of said members; catchmeans on said one member provided with a series of holes along the pathof said pivot; and a dog pivotally held by said pivot and biased toincline against said catch means and latch said scissors mechanism, saiddog having a tooth entering a hole and an abutment bearing against theportion of said catch means adjacent said hole at each latched positionof said scissors mechanism, two of said holes being elongated to permitsaid dog to pivot over center thereat in relation to said catch means,said dog being pivotally moved to a centered position under the inuenceof its said bias when the dog reaches one of said two holes and beingcammed over center by said catch means upon a reversal of movement ofsaid scissors mechanism when the dog is in said centered position.

10. In a crib including a support member and a mattress frame member:the combination of a vertical flange on one of said members: a scissorsmechanism between said members having slidable and pivotal connectionsto each of the members, one of said slidable connections including apivot slidably connected to said vertical flange; catch means on saidone member along the path of movement of said pivot; a latch dog on saidpivot; a spring to bias said dog against said catch means; and a mem-beron said pivot to which said spring is connected, said member beingconstrained by said vertical flange against angular movement about saidpivot.

l1. In a crib including support means and a mattress frame means: thecombination of a vertical member on one of said means and provided witha horizontal edge; a scissors mechanism having slidable and pivotalconnections to each said support and frame means, one of said slidableconnections including a pivot slidably connected to said vertical memberfor movement therealong; catch means provided on said one means alongthe path of said pivot; a dog on said pivot; s, spring torsionallybiasing said dog to cause the same to incline against said catch meansand latch said scissors mechanism, said spring tending to move said dogto a neutral position wherein the dog is normal to said catch means,said in its path of movement; and a member on said asses?? pivot towhich said spring is anchored. said lastmentioned member being heldconstrained from pivotal movement by said horizontal edge.

12. In a crib including amattress frame, a support frame and a scissorsmechanism connected between said frames to permit vertical adjustment ofthe' mattress frame relative to the support frame, said scissorsmechanism being moved relative to said frames upon vertically adjustingsaid mattress frame: the combination oi a latch operatively interposedbetween said scissors mechanism and one of said frames comprising apivotally mounted dog and a cooperating catch means, said dog beingadapted to incline against said catch means, within a predeterminedrange of adjustment of said mattress frame, and engage the catch meansto latch said scissors mechanism and hold said mattress frame in anelevated position; and means pivotally biasing said dog into latchingengagement with said catch means, said catch means including means for`causing said dog to be pivoted over center in relation to the catchmeans upon moving said mattress frame beyond said predetermined rangeand thereafter returning the same within said range.

i3. In a crib including mattress and support frames, one oi said framesincluding an angle iron, and a scissors mechanism between said frameshaving slidable and pivotal connections thereto oi which one of saidconnections is made to one flange oi said angle iron: the combination ofa pivotally mounted dog carried with said one connection for movementalong said angle iron upon opening and closing said scissors mechanismto raise and lower said mattress frame, the other flange of said angleiron having a series of holes therein disposed along the path ofmovement of said dog, the intermediate ones of said holes being adaptedfor engagement of said dog in ratchet relationship therewith whereby tolatch said scissors mechanism against closing movement, and the terminalones of said holes being elongated to permit said dog to pivot overcenter thereat in relation to said other flange; and means pivotallyurging said dog toward a centered position in relation to said otheriiange for holding the dog in operative engagement with said flange andmoving the same to said centered position as the dog engages one of saidterminal holes, an end wall of said terminal hole being adapted to abutagainst said dog and cam the same over center in relation to said otheriiange upon reversal of movement of said scissors mechanism after thedog reaches said centered position.

14. An adjustable supporting and stabilizing mechanism for the mattressframe of a crib, comprising a lower support frame on the crib; a pair ofscissors mechanisms connecting said mattress frame to said support frameand adjustable to raise and lower the mattress frame to dii'ierentelevations; and stabilizing means for said mattress frame connecteddiagonally between the mattress frame and said support frame from a sidemember of one frame to an end member of the other frame.

CHARLES E. WEBB.

